Armenia must submit new nuclear reactor’s EIA report, Baku says

12:03
24 January 2018
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The new nuclear reactor in Armenia will be a new generation 3+ reactor, however, regardless of the technology with the use of which it will be built, the reactor’s use is harmful to the environment and the neighboring countries, said Adil Garibov, chairman of the National Center for Nuclear Research CJSC under Azerbaijan's Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Technologies.

He was commenting on the planned construction of a new nuclear reactor in Armenia.

He said that according to the international convention, in order to build a nuclear reactor, Armenia must submit an environmental impact assessment (EIA) report of the reactor’s construction technology to all neighboring states.

“This assessment shouldn’t be carried out by Armenia, but by an independent and certified company in this field, or by international organizations,” he noted.

“Azerbaijan didn’t receive such a document from Armenia,” he said.

He reminded that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) already decided to extend the work of the Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant in Armenia until 2026.

In accordance with the agreement of Armenia with Russia’s Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, a new nuclear power plant with a capacity of 1,600 megawatts will be built in Armenia.

“According to Rosatom’s conditions, Russia will be selling the energy produced by the reactor on its own,” the expert said. “Most countries don’t agree with this. For example, Belarus didn’t.”

Despite that the construction of the new reactor was scheduled to begin in 2016, the work hasn’t started yet, he added.

“Perhaps, the construction of the reactor will begin in 2019, and end in 8-10 years,” Garibov said.